Place the rice into a bowl. Rinse rice under warm running water until it runs clear. This will allow most of the starch to wash away & prevent it from becoming mushy in the Instant Pot Beef Pilaf.

Drain the rice removing any excess water & set aside until ready to use.

Next, rinse & cut the beef into cubes.

Peel & cut the carrots. I cut them into finger width sections & then into quarters.

Peel & chop the onion.

Thereafter, take a whole head of garlic with the peel intact & slice it in half horizontally.

This half of the garlic will be used later on.

Plug in your Instant Pot, the display should read “OFF”.

Press the “SAUTÉ” button the Instant Pot. Press on it again until the heat level is at “HIGH”. The display should pre-select to 00:30, but it is fine at whichever time because it may be canceled whenever you are done sautéing.

Next, add in the olive oil. If olive oil isn’t available to you then vegetable oil may be used.

Press “CANCEL” on your Instant Pot, this will turn off the “SAUTÉ” mode.

Secure the lid on the Instant Pot.

Turn the anti-blockage vent (steam release handle) to “SEALING”.

Press the “Pressure Cook” button. Press the button again to set the pressure level to “MORE” on the display.

Next, use the “- or +” buttons & set the cooking time to 00:45 (45 minutes).

The Instant Pot should display “ON” until the pressure builds up.

Once the pressure builds up, the “float valve” will pop up – when it pops up, do not attempt to open the lid! Thereafter, the 45 minute timer will count down on the screen.

After the 45 minutes are over. Press “CANCEL” on your Instant Pot.

Turn the anti-blockage vent (steam release handle) to “VENTING” & allow the steam to release. Once the “float valve” sinks in, it is safe to open the lid.

The beef should be cooked & everything should be well infused.

Remove the bay leaf.

At this point the rice that was rinsed & drained earlier should be dried with no excess water. Use your hands & gently add the rice over the top of the beef mixture. Do not stir in the rice as it should only cover the top.

Use the back of a spoon & gently spread the rice so that all the grains are in the liquid – again, do not stir it.

Place the halved head of garlic with the cut side into the rice.

Secure the lid on the Instant Pot.

Turn the anti-blockage vent (steam release handle) to “SEALING”.

Press the “Pressure Cook” button. Press the button again to set the pressure level to “MORE” on the display. Next, use the “- or +” buttons & set the cooking time to 00:30 (30 minutes).

Make sure the “KEEP WARM” button is lit up as this will allow for the “NATURAL RELEASE” function which will be used after the 30 minutes is over.

The Instant Pot should display “ON” until the pressure builds up.

Once the pressure builds up, the “float valve” will pop up – when it pops up, do not attempt to open the lid! Thereafter, the 30 minute timer will count down on the screen.

After the 30 minutes are over, the screen should read “L0:00”.

Do not press Cancel – Leave it to do a natural release for 15 minutes.

Once the 15 minutes of natural release is over, press “CANCEL”.

Turn the anti-blockage vent (steam release handle) to “VENTING” & allow the excess steam to release. Once the “float valve” sinks in, it is safe to open the lid.

The rice should be thoroughly cooked.

Remove the garlic – it may be squeezed into the rice if you want that extra garlic flavour, but I discarded of it.

Give it a good mix.

Serve & garnish with fresh or dried parsley.

How quick was this Pilaf in the Instant Pot? It does all the cooking for you whilst the stove top will need you to keep an eye on it all the time to avoid scorching.

This Instant Pot Beef Pilaf can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.